Tag Archive | "BEHAVIOR"

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Jacobson’s Organ

Posted on 02 February 2010 by Spike

A friend of Mom’s called today for some advice. She acquired an eight month old male dog for Christmas. Lately, he has been showing some disturbing behaviors, as it was explained to Mom. It seems that on their walks, he goes up to an object, licks it and his teeth begin to chatter, followed by some foaming around his mouth.

Mom’s friend was convinced that somehow her dog had gotten into some poison. But this was not the case at all!

vomeronasalUs dogs have a Vomeronasal Organ, also called “Jacobson’s Organ”. It is located at the base of the nasal cavity. We are not the only creatures to possess this organ. Snakes, turtles, elephants and many other species also have the Jacobson’s organ. In fact, you have one, too! Unfortunately for humans, the functionality of the organ goes kaput during early development.  Oh, hamburgers, are you guys missing out!!

The organ’s primary function is to detect pheromones that carry information between individuals of the same species. It is kind of like a “sixth sense”. Or remember back when people read newspapers? Well, it’s like that, only slightly more sophisticated.

A girl dog may be out for a walk and decide to leave her “calling card” (also known as urine). This card is “read” by a boy dog. He begins by intently smelling the area and then tonguing, which means that the tongue is rapidly and repeatedly pushed up against the roof of his mouth. It is kind of like he is taking the odors off of the tongue and forcing them into the olfactory receptors. The “messages” are then sent to the hypothalamus. This is where he contemplates his sexual or social behaviors. (This is how us dogs are able to distinguish and recognize other animals and people.) During the tonguing process, many may have profuse foaming of the mouth and a chattering of the teeth may occur.

In a dog, sniffing is not the same as breathing. We sniff through a series of rapid, short inhalations and exhalations. You may notice us sniffing before the tonguing begins. Some of us dogs will sniff the air. Tax does this a lot (he’s really into smells). He holds his head back and sniffs while he moves his head back and forth. He is simply trying to locate the source of something he finds interesting. He is depending on scent particles roaming through the air getting caught on his wet nose. He can then determine the location of where the particles came from. Sometimes he begins foaming at the mouth and his teeth chatter. If you didn’t know better, you would swear that he was freezing to death!

So, don’t get so excited if you dog shows this kind of behavior. Also, do not discourage your dog from sniffing and smelling while he is on a walk. He’s gathering important information!

Comments (0)

Tags: , , , ,

Live Chat With Spike!

Posted on 07 March 2009 by Spike

UPDATE: Thanks to all who joined me in the chat tonight.  I look forward to doing it again.

This Thursday at 9 PM EST, I will be hosting a live chat for you to ask me your dog behavior questions.  I am using a neat service called TinyChat.  For those of you that have dog behavior questions, but you have not yet submitted them to me, now is your chance to do it without the delay necessary for me to write an entire article addressing your question.  Please note: I may use the situations from the chat to help other families struggling with similar issues.

To participate in the chat, check back HERE at 8:50 PM on Thursday, March 12 to get the link for the chat.  Click it and join in.  It really is that easy.  My friends that use Twitter will see a tweet in my stream at 8:50 PM as well, with a link to the chat.

If you have an in-depth or uncommon question for me, please send me a short e-mail ahead of time describing the issue, so I can fully develop my suggestions to you.  My paw pals, their families, and other interested parties are all welcome to join.  I intend for the chat to last until 10 PM, but I am happy to extend it if necessary.

dog-on-computer

Comments (2)

Tags: , , ,

A Brief Overview Of Aggression

Posted on 25 February 2009 by Spike

aggressive-dogLately, we have been getting TONS of questions about aggression issues.  These questions have led to some great articles on other topics, but it looks like aggression in general is a very broad and vague topic.  If you have questions about aggression, we have an excellent series about the different types, how they manifest, and how to treat or manage them.  You can find the articles that address aggression (both as part of the series and recent questions about it) here.

As a guide to help you decide whether your dog has some aggression issues, check out the questions below and keep track of how many apply to your canine family: Continue Reading

Comments (0)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Trying To Find The Inner Alpha

Posted on 22 February 2009 by Spike

rottweiler-shepherd-mixLast September, a reader adopted what they think is a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix puppy from a rescue at approximately eight weeks of age.  Throughout most of her puppyhood, she had a very timid personality, and she was always extra cautious of people and inanimate objects, but she was always very playful with and intrigued by other dogs.  Now, the family is starting to notice some behavior at 1 ½ years old that is disturbing to them. Continue Reading

Comments (0)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Teaching Take It, Leave It & Drop It

Posted on 07 February 2009 by Spike

open-palm-treatTAKE IT:

This is probably the easiest command to teach a dog, and it is certainly the easiest of these three commands.  On a very basic level, whatever you have to give him is given to him with the words “TAKE IT.”  Pretty easy, huh?

  1. Take your dog’s favorite treat and close your hand around it.
  2. Let the dog smell the treat as he or she sniffs around your hand for a few seconds. Continue Reading

Comments (6)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rocky's "Fear Aggression"

Posted on 06 February 2009 by Spike

There are times when you have conversations with “dog” people that know little or nothing about dogs or their behavior.  They are often looked to for suggestions and advice because they hold a position of influence.  Oftentimes, they will dispense advice throwing words around that they may have overheard in a conversation.  Some of those words or phrases can be dangerous in the hands of untrained, uneducated individuals.  Phrases like fear aggression are among those that are dangerous.  They think that because they were thinking fast enough to throw out that phrase, it will impress people, increasing their influence among those they encounter.  Some of these people do not have a clue as to what fear aggression actually is, let alone what can be done to modify or manage it. Continue Reading

Comments (2)

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

My Dog Will Not Go Outside My Home. HELP!?!?

Posted on 03 February 2009 by Spike

Last week, I received an e-mail from a reader that had just adopted a pit bull puppy, but she and her son were having the problems described here:

We have a pit bull puppy who refuses to go outside. We have to drag him on a walk. Then, if we stop, he turns and runs back to our apartment. He knows the way from wherever we go. He was potty trained when we got him, but that is fading fast, because he won’t go outside.

pit-bull-puppyThe first thing I have to say is “Congratulations” on the expansion of your family, and I wish to extend a special thank you for choosing to have a dog of that breed.  I have always said that pit bulls are not born bad, they are just raised that way.

Unfortunately, there was no age specification about this puppy, so I will have to do some guessing.  Keep in mind that young puppies do not know what a leash is.  Continue Reading

Comments (0)

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Spike Says: Check Out My Guest Post Over On Lola The Eco Dog's Blog

Posted on 29 January 2009 by Spike

Recently, Lola and I were chatting, and I offered to write a guest post on her blog about the probems many people encounter with their new puppies.  She posted it last night, so head on over and check it out.

Lola The Eco Dog

Comments (0)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Worried About Your Dog's Sleeping Behavior?

Posted on 26 January 2009 by Spike

A concerned mother noticed a change in her dog’s behavior, especially when it comes to sleeping patterns and refusing to sleep in the bed.  She sent me a few questions, and I have included the answers below for you to read.  She was dog-sleeping-weirdconcerned about her dog possibly being a “loner” and her earlier life in a shelter.

First, let me say that I do not know a single dog that is a “loner”.  We crave attention, whether it is from our families, toys, or other dogs.  This dog is still a puppy, about five months old.  There is a lot going on at five months, as this is the early stages of dog puberty.  Puberty for dogs is a lot like the human kind.  Around the age of five or six months, sometimes a little later, changes start occurring.  This is when we start to develop our adult bodies, and that is especially evident in our feet and tummy areas.  Our feet become adult-sized almost overnight, and we become exceptionally clumsy.  We also lose the round belly in favor of a more lean physique.  Puberty in a dog may last until the dog is 14 months old. Continue Reading

Comments (1)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Puppy Problems

Posted on 21 January 2009 by Spike

golden-lab-puppyOver the holidays, many families across America became new and loving homes for puppies.  A friend of November 2008’s addition to my pack was one fo those lucky puppies.  As with all new relationships, there is a period of adjustment, and this post addresses some of the “new puppy issues.”  Specifically, we are going to discuss this Golden Labrador Retriever, but many of the puppy issues pop up regardless of breed.

All of the retriever breeds are born being comfortable with having or carrying something in their mouths.  I am no exception, as I often wander the house with my toy du jour.  We are also notorious chewers, especially as puppies.  Sometimes I spend a whole day just wanting to walk around with something in our mouth. Continue Reading

Comments (2)

Advertise Here

Photos from our Flickr stream

See all photos

Advertise Here